1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is fruit processing machines.
2. Background
In the automated process of extracting juice and pulp from fruit, substances such as skins, pulp, rag, and seeds are left behind on the surfaces of the fruit processing machine. These by-products must be removed periodically to maintain juice quality.
Various methods have been used to clean fruit processing machines. Manual Cleaning, using a hose and brush, is labor intensive, slow, and inefficient. Certain fruit processing machines or juice extractors have been equipped with spray nozzles, fixed in certain positions. For cleaning, water is forced under high pressure through the spray nozzles. The water rushing through the nozzles is directed at the inner surfaces of the machine. Water strikes the inner surfaces of the machine with high impact and dislodges and washes away residual juice, skins, pulp, and seeds, thereby cleaning the machine.
While usually more efficient than manual methods, the use of fixed nozzles has various disadvantages. A large number, typically hundreds, of conventional fixed nozzles may be required to wash all areas of the machine properly. Equipping a machine with this large number of nozzles is in itself an undesirable expense. In addition, the large number of nozzles, all spraying with high impact, requires the use of a very high volume of wash water which is undesirable for the environment and increases the cost of operation. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a fruit processing machine having an improved cleaning system.